Rage of a River
by Kastle
Summary: Seredhel and Estel continue to grow in Rivendell. However, when the feelings of inadequecy causes the one of the edain to try something they shouldn't have, will the family be torn apart?
1. Chapter 1

Hi all, sorry this took a little longer than planned, but I'm trying to write the whole story before posting. Also, I had planned to make the twins much older, however, due to overwhelming response, I set my older twin story aside and wrote a whole new one, with them in their childhood in Rivendell. Also, this is the sequel to "To Lose and To Gain" if you haven't read that story yet, please do, or else this will not make a lot of sense. This may take awhile to post between chapters, i hit a cramp, but wanted to get this much out. Hope ya'll enjoy it**  
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**Chapter 1: The Lesson**

Five year old Serethiel snuck down the hall toward the door that she knew held the room with her two older brothers. The sun had barely been up for a quarter hour, casting beams of light down on the floor and walls of the Last Homely House. Today was a special day for Serethiel and her twin Estel, for their older elven brothers had promised to start teaching them how to swim. Serethiel had always envied the dark haired twins who could cool of on the hot summer days, and often she would annoy Elladan to the point of exasperation, begging him to teach her the skill.

Serethiel stopped and frowned, thinking about the promise to be taught. The two elves had said they'd start early, but they were still in bed! Of course, so was her own twin, Estel, but then Estel _never _moved before he had to, and the later the better. Serethiel couldn't understand it. She always liked to be up early, and see the sunrise with Ada, actually, pre-dawn was even better, darkness still lingered over the land, it was a time of mystery and Serethiel loved it.

Her thoughts brought her to the door of the elven twins. Gently, she eased the heavy oak door open, and slipped inside. The dark haired elves lay together in one large bed. Technically, it was Elladan's room, but the beds in both had been made large enough to accommodate two full grown elves, since the twins disliked to be separated, especially if they had just returned from a hard patrol.

Elladan shifted slightly as Serethiel eased toward the bed, causing the small chestnut haired edain to pause a moment. Once he settled again, she resumed her forward trek.

Elladan had heard the door open and allowed his eyes to slide back into focus. He fought to keep the smile off his face as his adopted little sister crept toward the bed. She was improving at sneaking up on them; there was a time when she wouldn't have even made it to the door before waking him. He carefully resettled himself, waiting for the pounce; he would let her have her fun, for the moment anyway.

Serethiel eyes glittered with mischief as she got with in jumping distance of the bed. Neither twin had shown sign of wakefulness. Drawing her short legs under her, she leapt up, straight for Elladan's stomach. However, the elven twin was too fast for her. Before she had landed, two long arms shot out, grabbing her around the waist and with a flip of the body, she found herself lightly pinned beneath her eldest brother, Elladan. Pale blue eyes looked down at her with a twinkle in them.

"So, you thought you could sneak up on us? Scare us perhaps?" Elladan tried to make his voice as sinister as possible. Beneath him, Serethiel widened her cerulean blue eyes, trying to look as innocent as possible. Next to them, Elrohir rolled over mockingly glaring at his siblings; he picked up the line of questions where his brother had left off.

"And at such an early hour? This just can't go unpunished, wouldn't you agree dear brother? Such a youngling must be put into her place."

"Aye, brother, I think punishment is in order."

Without a further pause, both elves descended on the young edain tickling her mercilessly. Serethiel giggled, and tried to squirm away from her brothers. Soon, tears of laughter were rolling down her slightly pudgy cheeks.

"Mercy, please, 'Dan, 'Ro…no fair!"

Her brothers ignored her pleas of mercy and continued their assault. The three were so involved that they didn't notice as the door to the bedroom opened, admitting a tall blond elf.

"If you three are going to be awake at this hour, it might be wise not to wake the whole household." Glorfindel's voice dripped sarcasm. Most of the house was awake already; however, normally it wasn't quite so loud.

The softly spoken words caused the two elven twins to sit up, settling their sister between them, identical expressions of innocence gracing their faces. Between them, Serethiel glared at each of them in turn, pouting slightly at the unfairness of having two against one.

"Sorry, Glorfindel, we were…" Before Elladan could finish his sentence, Serethiel slid of the bed. She was determined not to let her brothers have any say. Stepping up to Glorfindel, she stretched out her arms begging to be picked up. The blonde warrior obliged, settling her on his hip.

"Glorfy, they were being mean. They promised to teach me 'n Estel…"

"Estel and I" Glorfindel corrected her automatically

"Yea, to swim. They said we'd go early, but they are still in bed!" The young girl looked so affronted that Glorfindel had to hide the smile.

"By early, these two sluggards meant before noon, little one. They are too lazy to know the sunrise like the rest of the household."

"But…" Glorfindel cut her off before she could voice her protest.

"How about you and I go find your ada, and then get something to eat. These two need to get ready to be seen by other _civilized _beings." The warrior had started inching out the door, although he stopped long enough to glance back at the disheveled twins who still sat on the bed, looking insulted at the words Glorfindel had thrown their way. As the two voices faded away, the twins glanced at each other. It was going to be a very long day.

* * *

Serethiel bounced slightly in her seat. She sat near the end of the small family table. Breakfast was one of the few times were the family could just be family, and when there was no delegations to host, the peredhels took the opportunity to have a little privacy. Only Lord Elrond's family, Glorfindel, and Erestor ate on the secluded terrace near the study. Currently, the lords of the valley were seated at the table with the youngest edain, all of them awaiting the final three members of the family. 

Glorfindel had been true to his word. He and Serethiel had went and found Lord Elrond, who had taken the time to reassure his daughter that all would be well and that the twins would indeed be teaching the two edain how to swim. With a gentle push, he had sent her to wake her own twin; after all, the elves were teaching _both _edain how to swim, not just her.

In their shared room, she had found Estel sound asleep. Using the same trick she had tried on her elven brothers, she had leapt onto his stomach, waking him rather violently. With a lot of mumbling she had literally drug Estel out of bed. She cringed slightly thinking about the bruises he would probably have from landing on the floor so hard. He wouldn't be happy when he finally drug himself to breakfast.

Bouncing slightly in her seat, she turned back to Lord Elrond, to find him smiling down at her. The age-old elf knew the antics that had occurred in his house already, but he found it interesting that his sons were so taken by this young girl that they had actually gotten up after her unique wake-up call.

"Mornin' ada." Still looking slightly disheveled, Elladan dropped into a chair next to Serethiel bonelessly, earning him a glare from his father.

"Elladan, where is your brother, and why do you look like you just had a fight with the ground and lost?"

"I'm here, ada," Elrohir appeared in the doorway, Estel on his hip, "As for 'Dan there, well, he normally doesn't see this level of the sun, and was a little surprised."

Elrond sighed, "What happened? Its not even noontime and you two find trouble."

"I think that's the problem." 'Ro chortled, quickly ducking the smack that was aimed at him by his twin.

"Well, ada, when we took these devils into the house," 'Dan gestured to Serethiel and Estel, "I didn't expect to be woken at this insane hour and then being pushed to the floor and held there, all by five year olds. Honestly, ada, these two are dangers to this house."

Serethiel glanced at her twin, his silver eyes sparkled with humor. None of the elves were paying her much attention.

"How?" She mouthed the word across the table.

"He thought I was 'sleep. I just jumped on 'im, he's the one that fell." He mouthed back.

Estel looked innocent, but Serethiel could see the glint in his eyes, it also told her that he held no grudge for the wake-up call she had given that morning. Further communication was interrupted by the arrival of their breakfast. Serethiel glanced down at the plate and smiled. No porridge, it was summer time and the hot foods were not as common at any of the meals. She grabbed a pastry and began eating it as quickly as she could, which also created quite a mess. Across the table, her twin was doing the same. A large hand on her wrist caused her to slow down and glance up. Elladan was looking down at her smiling.

"Eat slowly, Serethiel, 'Ro and I have to finish too before we can go down to the river. Besides, you'll choke if you keep eating that pastry like a warg."

Estel grinned as his sister blushed, and stuck is tongue out at her. She was the one to be caught with the bad table manners, for once. A soft cough caused him to look toward his father, who had a look on his face that cowed Estel at once. This time it was Serethiel's turn to stick her tongue out at her twin. Elrond just sighed and turned back to talking with Glorfindel.

The rest of the meal passed fairly quickly for Serethiel. When the elven twins rose from their seats, both Serethiel and Estel leapt up, excused themselves, and raced to beat the elves to the door.

"Be back by evenfall," Elrond's words followed the youngsters out the door.

"We will, ada." Elladan shouted over his shoulder as he chased the edain into the hallway. Elrond just shook his head, the young ones were impossible.

* * *

Serethiel and Estel at on the elven twins shoulders as they walked down the path toward the river. Every so often, Elladan would grab Serethiel and swing her around before settling her back on his broad shoulders. Sitting up so high would sometimes remind her of sitting on someone else's shoulders, but she couldn't quite remember whose. 

As the river came into view, both edain were set back on their feet and shoved slightly ahead of the elves.

"Go on, you two, leggings only for you Estel, Serethiel, leggings and under shirt." As Elladan told them what to do, both he and his brother began stripping down to their leggings. His mind drifted back to the conversation he'd had with his father about Serethiel. She refused to wear a shift, insisting on the clothes that all of her brothers wore. However, that meant that she would have to learn to swim with more and heavier fabric then if she had agreed to wear the short, light dress that the elleth wore while in the water. Elrond had told 'Dan to teach her in whatever clothes she wished, if she wanted more clothes, fine, she would become a stronger swimmer for it. While not agreeing with the decision, Elladan couldn't fault the logic.

Serethiel stood next to her heap of clothes, anxiously awaiting her elven brother. When Elladan turned back around she jumped into his arms. He chuckled lightly, setting her on his hip. Elrohir and Estel already stood at the edge of the almost still pool formed by the Bruinen. During a storm, the water would form eddies at this spot and become dangerous, but the bright sunny day equaled a calm shallow pool, perfect for teaching two toddlers how to swim.

Wadding into hip deep water, Elladan dropped Serethiel so that she was up to her shoulders in the water. Squealing at the cold and from shock, she tried to climb up her brother. Estel glanced at his sister when he heard her squeal. He had also been dropped into the water up to his shoulders, and while it was chilly, it wasn't freezing. When Elladan kept holding her down in the water, Serethiel glanced at her twin. Her cerulean blue eyes were wide, fear showing through. Estel furrowed his brow, his sister wasn't afraid of anything, but here she was looking terrified.

"'Dan, lift me up, can't breathe." Serethiel's voice came out choked. She didn't understand what was wrong; she'd never had a problem in the water before. Around her waist, Elladan's hands tightened, pulling her close.

"What's wrong, tithen pen?" Elladan bent closer to the girl he held in his arms, she trembled slightly as if scared.

"Can't….breathe." Serethiel panted out the two words with extreme effort. Elladan glanced over her head at his twin, a frown marring his face. He'd never seen this problem before and wasn't sure what to do. Estel sat perched up to his shoulders in the water nearby; he showed no signs of the same problems that his sister was having, however his silver eyes never his sister's face.

"Here, how about I put you on your back, you just have to float." Elladan was frantically hoping that by keeping her chest out of the water, she would still be able to breathe.

Serethiel's midnight eyes stayed locked on the lighter blue of Elladan's. She felt him gently push her on her over, one hand resting on the small of her back. Her fear overpowered her, and she began breathing shallowly.

"Come on, breathe, tithen pen," Elladan's whisper ghosted past her ear. She consciously drew a deep breathe, and didn't have any problems. She could feel Elladan moving her around in the water. Nearby, Estel was comforted by the sight of his sister being resettled in the water, and his happy splashing could be heard as Elrohir rolled him on his stomach.

"Your fine, don't think about him," Elladan's words caused her to look up at him, and settling into his arms, she was determined not to let him down.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly for the four youngsters. As Elladan and Elrohir carefully dried the younger twins, Estel couldn't stop bouncing and chattering excitedly. Serethiel smiled slightly at his exuberance, happy that he had done so well. By the end of the afternoon, Estel had been able to do a very basic stroke. Serethiel on the other hand had only been able to roll on her stomach near the end of the day. Every other time she had been rolled over, she had stopped being able to breathe. It saddened her that she couldn't swim well; she felt as if she had let Elladan down somehow. 

She and Estel walked between the elves on the way back to the Last Homely House. She shivered slightly as a breeze lifted her long damp hair. The sky overhead had darkened during the afternoon and now a storm was threatening to break above them.

Elladan looked down at the small child with concern. He had felt the shiver and had noticed her silence after they had gotten out of the water. She had been incredibly frustrated at her inability to be on her stomach, and he had no way to relive her anger. He intended to talk with his father as soon as possible about her breathing. He hoped that is was just a passing thing, but worried that it may always be a problem.

As the small party approached the house, Lord Elrond appeared on the steps, his long black robes billowed around him in the growing wind. With a smile, he called down to his children.

"Enjoy your swim?"

Immediately, Estel broke away from Elrohir to run the rest of the way to his father, leaping into the older elf's arms.

"It was fun! I floated all by myself, and I swam too!" Elrond fondly stroked the young boy's curls before turning back to his foster daughter. However, instead of running to him, like she normally would, she clung all the tighter to Elladan, almost hiding behind him. Elrond furrowed his brow and glanced at his eldest son, the only reply was a shake of the head and one mouthed word.

"Later."

With a slight incline of his head, Elrond accepted his son's word, before returning his attention to the child in his arms and walking back into the house.

* * *

Serethiel sat on her huge bed awaiting Elladan. Her twin had already dressed and disappeared toward the antechamber where the family met before dinner, but she still sat awaiting the elf's arrival. She sighed, smoothing out the midnight blue skirt on her dress, a small delegation from Lothlorien had arrived, warranting nothing fancy, but meaning that she had to dress more appropriately. 

The door cracked open and Elladan poked his head around the corner.

"Ready, tithen pen?" He stretched one hand out as he said it. "Ada will wonder where we are."

Serethiel hopped off the bed and grabbed Elladan's hand. He squeezed it gently, looking down at her. Midnight blue eyes met his own, sadness filling them. Elladan stopped abruptly, bending down to be at her height.

"Tell me what's wrong."

Serethiel sniffed slightly, eyes starting to look suspiciously bright.

"I'm sorry." The quiet words were accompanied by a scoffing of her foot, her eyes finding the floor. Two cool gentle fingers were placed beneath her chin, raising her face so she had to meet Elladan's eye's.

"Whatever for?"

"I couldn't do it, I'm not as good as an elf. I'm not even as good as Estel!"

Serethiel's voice came out as a pained wail, causing Elladan to close his eyes for a moment. The two edain had both had their moments of uncertainty; they lived in a place surrounded by perfection while they could never be perfect. It was a hard burden for such young ones and would only get worse before it got better, if it ever did.

"You did nothing wrong, tithen pen. You will get better with practice, Estel is just better at this than you are. Like you are better than him at learning all the different languages that ada is always trying to teach you."

Elladan's soft words seemed do have their intended effect as the young edain slowly nodded.

"So, sometimes I'm best, and sometimes he is."

"Better, and yes that is true."

Serethiel ignored the correction, but instead smiled blindingly at her beloved brother before grabbing his hand, forcing him to continue their walk through the halls of the Last Homely House. Elladan let out a breath, happy that at least one fear had been put to rest, for now.

Elrond glanced up from the pre-dinner glass of wine as his eldest and youngest walked through the door. Elladan left Serethiel with Elrohir and Estel before stepping over to his father.

"After dinner, we need to talk. Serethiel feels she always must compare herself to the elves, and to her brother." Elladan spoke in a hushed voice, trying not to draw the attention of the two edain. Standing so close to his father, he could here the sigh that escaped the elf lord at the quiet words

"Estel also tries comparing himself, although, I think it is only to the elves. We will have to do something about it. They mustn't find themselves inferior, but nor can they believe they can be like us." Elrond dreaded dealing with this particular problem, and he suspected that even if the family handled it now, the self-consciousness would not go away, and would probably crop up at the worst times.

* * *

Outside the warmth of the Last Homely House, the storm had at last come. Rain fell in sheets and the wind howled. Only the power of Vilya was keeping the Bruinen from jumping her banks and starting to flood the surrounding areas, even as it was, it swirled dangerously if anyone wandered to close to it. 

Inside, the elves were enjoying light merrymaking in the Hall of Fire. Serethiel and Estel were curled up and the foot of their father's chair, dark and reddish hairs intermixing on the elf lords lap. The hour grew late for the two young ones, and Elrond knew he should take his leave soon, though he was loathe to disturb the two. It was rare that they were so peaceful in their sleep; even now their dreams were to often plagued by nightmares.

Glorfindel glanced up at his lord from his place near the fire, a smile touching his lips at the sight of the two edain resting at his feet. All too soon, they would both grow, and such serenity would be rare. Shaking away the dark thoughts of the future, he nodded his head at the two children at Elrond's feet, one eyebrow rising in question. Elrond nodded in response, before leaning down and gathering both small children into his arms. Standing carefully, he made his way out of the Hall; Glorfindel and Erestor would ensure that all went well for the remainder of the evening.

Arriving at the twins' room, he felt Serethiel stir in his arms. She blinked blearily up at him, trying to decide where she was, before nuzzling back into Elrond's robes, one hand stretching out to find her brother's. Gently laying them on the large bed, he changed them into sleep clothes and settled them into bed. A kiss was bestowed on each forehead, before the elven lord stepped out of the room, only leaving a small candle in the corner lit, so if the twins woke in the night, it wouldn't be dark.

Instead of going back down to the festivities, Elrond made his way to his study, and was not at all surprised to find his eldest awaiting him. Elladan had a glass of wine in hand and was staring pensively into the fire. The elder elf sighed, it was going to be a long evening, neither elf would see a bed until late into the night, while they discussed the matter of the edain and their feelings of inadequacy.

TBC…

* * *

_Elvish Translations:_

_Ada_ - father

_Tithen pen_ - little one

_edain _ - human

_Reviews from To Lose and To Gain:_

childofthekng _I'm glad I got the twin interaction down good, I was basing it off a couple friends of mine. More interaction will be coming in the future stories._

Haline _It may be done, but more will be coming. I have a lot of adventures planned for future stories, have no fear._

HannahCimsGwendolyn _Ok, you convinced me to continue with them younger, then go into the older stories. Don't worry if I jump into their young adulthood, though. I have a few ideas for them as children, and they will be written. I just don't know when._

whitedino _I will have childhood stories, I just don't know how many and in what order they will be written. They may be 5 in one, then 25, then 8, so don't worry, we will find out what kind of trouble they found in Rivendell._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Rage**

Serethiel blinked one eye open, carefully. It was still dark out, but the small nightlight still sputtered in the corner of the room, illuminating it just enough that she could make out shapes. Next to her, Estel lay curled against her, one arm draped over her waist. Edging out from underneath the weight, she slid out of bed and stood looking at the balcony. The rain had stopped, but a breeze still blew through.

The young edain sighed; she didn't know what had woken her, but now that she was up she doubted that sleep would claim her again. Though it was still a few hours before dawn, restlessness plagued her and she found herself wanting something to do. Her mind drifted through the day's events, settling on the "failed" swim lesson. She froze for a split second, before springing into action. She could surprise Elladan by secretly practicing, and then when they had another lesson, she would be just as good as her brother, maybe even better.

She stopped in her hustle to find her swim clothes when Estel rolled slightly in the bed, obviously seeking her warmth. Carefully, she scrambled back to the stand next to him, smoothing his hair back. Apparently it was enough, for her twin rolled back over and fell back asleep.

Stepping back away from him, she grabbed her bundle of clothes and slid out the door. Entering the courtyard, she noticed that a little light still filtered out of her father's study. Shrugging off her curiosity about why there were still people awake, she clutched her cloak closer to her and began the trek down to the swim hole.

* * *

Serethiel was covered in mud by the time she arrived at the swim hole. The trail had been slick and dangerous and she had found herself on the ground many times. The river had swollen during the storm, leaving a much smaller area for Serethiel to move around in. She quickly shed her clothes down to the underclothes that she swam in. She slipped and slid down to the edge of the Bruinen. At its edge, the youngster carefully stepped into the water. It was cooler than before, but not so cold as to cause her to want to get back out. Rolling onto her back, she pushed off toward the center of the small pool. Once she felt she was far enough out, she rolled onto her stomach. Her breathing hitched slightly, and she panicked, bringing her head out of the water, gulping in lungs full of air. Once she was calm again, she put her face back in the water, slowly breathing out like Elladan had taught her. When her lungs were empty, she lifted her head and drew in another breathe, and returned to floating.

Feeling a bit braver, Serethiel scissored her legs, propelling her further from the bank. A smile broke across her face as she realized that she was swimming. While she had to be careful to breathe very deep or her have her chest seize up, she was still swimming, just like Estel. Striking out a little further, Serethiel decided to try something that she had seen the twins do. Taking a deep breath, the young edain curved her body, so she was under the water. Using her legs to kick, she went as far as she could before surfacing. When her head broke through, she found herself almost on the far bank. With one more breathe, she went back under and began striking out across the remaining part of the pool.

When she was almost ready to surface again, she felt a tug at her body. Trying to make the short distance to the surface, she found herself being spun around under the water. With flailing arms, she tried to struggle up to air, however, the more she struggled, the more she tumbled in the water. Soon, she wasn't sure which way was up. Abruptly, she found herself out of the eddy, but she was being pulled downstream. Using a last burst of strength, she pulled herself to the surface, drawing on last breathe of air before being drug back under the current. Overhead, lightning touched down on a ridge, casting a brief eerie glow on the valley.

* * *

Elrond stood at the window of his study, a glass of wine in hand. Elladan sat nearby, sprawled on one of the many couches in the room. Their talk of the two young edain had indeed lasted long into the night, long enough that the storm had quieted for a time; however, as the eye of it passed over the valley, the lord of Rivendell could see that more of the nature's rage was yet to come.

As if sensing his thoughts, the sky's opened up again, dropping more rain and a lone lightening strike. The accompanying thunder caused Elladan to jump, nearly falling on the floor. Somewhere in the house, a door was heard slamming open, followed by the sound of small footsteps.

Elrond turned, gracing his eldest with a small smile. Both knew that it was either Estel or Serethiel coming for solstice, probably having been wakened by the renewing of the storm.

Elladan rose as the study door opened up, and Estel came into view. Without a second glance, the dark haired boy flung himself into Elrond's arms, clinging tightly to his neck.

"Ada, Ser' is gone and I scared!" Estel said the words so quickly that Elrond had to stop and think about what he said. When realization dawned, he gripped the edain closer. By the couch, Elladan's eyes widened as his knees threatened to give out.

"Serethiel is gone? Where?" Elrond tried to stay calm for the boy's sake.

"I don't know. I woke up an' she was gone." Estel ran one hand across his running nose, sniffling as he spoke. Across the room, Elladan was composing himself, standing straight before addressing his father.

"I'll get Elrohir, we'll begin searching immediately." Without waiting for a word, the younger elf was out the door.

"Estel, let's get you back into bed, then I'll see about finding that wayward sister of yours." When the dark head that rested against the lord's shoulder nodded, Elrond moved out the door.

* * *

It was a rather disheveled Glorfindel who greeted Lord Elrond at his chamber doors.

"My lord?" The blond warrior blinked wearily at the lord of the valley.

"Estel is missing," Elrond's voice was so quiet and grave that Glorfindel nearly missed it. When the words finally sunk in, he spun on his heel, kicking the door closed behind him. Elrond could hear rustling around inside as Glorfindel searched for a clean tunic. Within moments, the door reopened, this time revealing a slightly more alert Glorfindel.

"I will gather search parties and begin investigating nearby areas." Without waiting for a reply, the warrior bowed slightly before hurrying down the hallway. Rubbing one hand over his dark brow, Elrond turned and followed; his footsteps less sure and leaden with the weight of a heavy heart.

* * *

Serethiel couldn't see anything. Well, that wasn't quite true; she could see when she carefully opened one eye. However, each time, only the grey and white swirl of the Bruinen could be seen in the short moment before the pounding water forced her eye closed again. As she forced herself into a roll, she managed to throw her head above water, taking in a huge gulp of air. Tumbling back under, she was forced to the bottom, her arm slamming in the rocky riverbed. Serethiel gasped, inhaling water, at the pain that suddenly exploded in her arm. Using her other hand, she tried to cover the cut on her right arm, although blood continued to run between her fingers. All too soon, her lungs began to burn from lack of oxygen and she found herself scrambling off the bottom of the river, where she had settled slightly in the calmer depths.

Clawing with her now one good hand, the young edain struggled back toward the surface. A weight crashed into her side, causing her to spin wildly. Reaching out, her hand connected with a large branch, which she quickly tried to cling to. Her injured right arm connected with a piece of the bark that broke off in her hand, causing her to jerk, almost losing her precarious hold. The river threatened to turn the whole branch, and Serethiel wrapped her legs around it, determine to hold on to her lifeline. As the waves overturned the log, she gulped on last precious breathe of air before once again being tossed into the churning water of the Bruinen.

Her tumbling travels down the river continued. Overhead, claps of thunder still sounded, if less often; wind and rain had lightened, but not stopped. The log that she clung to rolled and twisted. Too often she didn't know where she was in relation to air; she just hoped that the log would roll again.

As her breath ran out once again, the limb that she clung to found a narrow part of the river, either end of it slammed into the steep banks, and held fast. The impact jarred Serethiel into it, her back connecting solidly, pushing the air from her lungs and forcing a whimper from her mouth. The water stopped swirling slightly, allowing her to breathe, even as dark spots danced in her vision.

The young edain came aware slowly that the water was no longer swirling quite as quickly. With a small burst of energy, she tried to break free, her numb limbs fighting the water of the Bruinen to no avail. She could barely move, but she twisted around until she was facing the log, wrapping her arms around it. With that small movement, she gave up the battle to stay awake, and slowly drifted into blessed unconsciousness.

* * *

Elrond's robes billowed behind him as he stood on the steps of the Last Homely House. Glorfindel had assembled a search party, and they were riding out of the court yard, horse hoofs pounding on the stone. With a sigh, the elven lord turned around and drifted back into the now quiet house. He had given Estel a sleeping draught when the young boy had refused to calm down. It was for the better; if Serethiel was found by morning, the child wouldn't be able to see her until nearly noon while he patched her up. Estel might as well sleep during that time.

In the silence, the lord's footsteps came as close to echoing as an elf's ever did. No joyous laughter could be heard to cover it, no shouts from the practice fields. It was silent, it was as if doom were hanging over the valley, threatening her with its presence

'Valar save us all, doom is what it will be if we lose Serethiel. Her brother may be the hope of man, but she is the peace for Middle Earth. Without one, the other is lost…' A quick shake of his head dispelled those thoughts, 'Perhaps I should have made a draught for myself; it would have calmed me.' Elrond's mind whirled at the implications of losing such a precious being, he felt lost, wanting to go help his senchal find his beloved daughter, but the knowledge that he was needed in the valley to keep watch over her brother pulled him to remain within the stone walls which now seemed so confining.

As Elrond settled into a large chair in his study, the flash of nearby lightening crashed, along with the sound of cracking wood, loud enough to startle Elrond awake, the thunder was longer to follow, but even so, the crack of wood made the lord of the valley positive that more damage had been done nearby.

* * *

Serethiel became aware as a loud crack reached her ears. Still clinging to her precarious hold, she shifted slightly, jumping and nearly losing her hold when a crack of thunder sounded overhead. Whimpering, the young edain tried to pull herself out of the water further, only to find that the log rolled away from her and continued downstream, the movement jarring her injuries.

The log moved slower than before, allowing the weakened girl to keep a hold of it with her good left arm. Her right was still bleeding slowly and ached terribly. The swirling Bruinen had calmed, only gently shifting the log side to side. The roar of the falls could just be heard in the distance, when once again the log found a perch, one end in the bank, with Serethiel resting under it. Borrowing a little deeper into the soft silt of the bank, the young edain curled up and closed her tired eyes, unconsciousness claiming her once more. The sound of hoof prints never penetrated the fog, as Glorfindel and her brothers pounded past the tree, ignoring the downed limb, without a second glance, the dark haired edain blending into the bank, the bright red that was seeping from her arm was the only color that could be seen in the night.

TBC

* * *

_edain _ human

_Ada_ dad

_Reviews:_

_childoftheking: _Isn't sibling rivalry great? Don't worry Ser will get her share of triumphs and Estel his share of hurts. You gotta keep them even somehow.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: The Search**

Glorfindel sighed from atop his horse. He had already split his men into several smaller search parties and he could ill afford to do it again. However, despite several hours of searching, none of the reports back had brought news of the young _edain_. Each time Elladan or Elrohir rode up to report the news from their search parties, their faces had appeared more drawn and sad than the time previous. Night was going to break soon into dawn, although it was the promise of a bleak dawn, the dark clouds from the night's storm still lingered overhead.

"Erestor, take five scouts and continue down the river. I will take the remainder and scour the far side of the bank. If she fell in the river, it is possible that she is on the other side." Glorfindel gave the order efficiently, but inside he cringed to hear his voice, rough with emotion.

Without even a glance to see that his men were obeying him, Glorfindel turned Asfolath into the shallows that they had been resting beside, fording the river easily enough despite the swelling and currents. This side of the bank had seen much more damage then the other side. Here, downed trees and brush scattered the riverside, and mudslides were evident in the sharp banks. The elven seneschal was caught up in his thoughts and worries for the youngest member of the Peredhel family. If he had been as observant as normally, he would have looked down and noticed that pressed into the soft mud were fresh footprints of a pack of coyotes; fresh enough that they were on the prowl after hiding from the night's storm, hunger and protection of their young pups finally driving them into the chill to hunt.

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Serethiel shuddered as a light breeze picked up her still damp hair and brushed it from her face. The water line had receded, leaving her without a fear of drowning immediately, however, the large log still pinned her to the ground, allowing only movement of her arms, or rather her left arm, since her right still throbbed painfully from the jagged cut that she could see had torn through her skin rather deeply.

Taking a deep breathe, the young edain tried to wiggle her way out of the prison she was trapped in, all she wanted was to go home. Except that thought brought back pain too.

_'Will they even want me? I did swim, but then I got stuck and can't get home. Elladan would never have this problem. Elrohir never would have had to come out late at night anyway. They would be strong and get home on their own.'_

These thoughts just led the young girl to wishing for her warm bed. Her wiggling got more insistent, causing shooting pains to sear through her body as all the bruises protested the abuse. Silvery tears ran down her face, glinting in the early morning light.

_'They probably don't even notice that I'm gone.'_

_************************************************************************************************************************************************ _

Elrond's figure was black against the dawning sky. Erestor stood quietly behind the lord, dreading his latest orders from Glorfindel. Ser had yet to be found, and the light hour would bring out coyotes and other predators for a brief hunt before full daylight reigned in the valley. Taking a deep breath, Erestor hoped Elrond would notice, but when the lord would not turn, he was forced to speak up.

"My Lord….?" Pitching his voice low, it came out slightly more tentative than he had intended. Elrond did not turn, but did nod his head in response, "Elrond, we still have seen no sign of the girl. We've been up and down the banks; Glorfindel has sent back a few of the less experienced patrols out of concern of animals. He does not wish more injuries than needed."

Elrond turned at last, and for the first time in his long life, he looked every minute of the long millennia that he had dwelt in Middle Earth. "Glorfindel is well to minimize possible injuries. Valar only knows the shape Serethiel will be in if, _when_ we find her."

Erestor couldn't control himself, he had to step forward. "_Mellon nin,_ we will find her. She is young and couldn't get far. Besides she is resourceful, for a five year old _edain_. Do not worry so."

Elrond smiled sadly, while Erestor knew who the children were, he did not yet know the significance of Arrowlan. She may never hold the throne of Gondor and usher in an age of man as Aragorn would, but she would be great. She was the peaceful rock of all Middle Earth.

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Elladan sighed. He was wet, tired, and had actually become stiff. He hated that feeling, it made him feel human and while he had yet to choose to remain an elf, he still did not relish the easy pains that humans, and he too, could get occasionally. He rode separate from the patrols of Elrohir and Glorfindel. He had a feeling that Ser would not have been content to stay on the close shore and would have tried to out-swim her brother and make it to the far bank instead. He pricked up a bit at the sound of a howl. Coyotes, hidden inside during the night hunt, were braving the tender light of dawn to catch a little something before they slept again. He loosed his sword a bit, while not likely to attack a full grown elf, he was alone and a pack could pose a problem. Especially when a pack sounded that close, although they did sound like they had found something. Elladan smiled a bit bitterly thinking of the poor animal that had probably gotten trapped by the coyotes.

A thought slammed Elladan hard, smile disappearing as if it had never existed and grey eyes widening in fear. Serethiel was alone, small, and probably cold, tired, or worse, hurt, and a pack of coyotes had found their prey.

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Serethiel was huddled under her log, terrified. The howls of coyotes had jerked her awake. While animals did not normally scare her, she was good with all creatures; she knew the coyotes hadn't hunted yet due to the storm. Her right arm throbbed, and in the light sun she could just make out the ugly color and slight unnatural bend in it. There was also a long cut, deep and painful, seeping blood when she moved it too quick.

In the brush, the young girl could see the glowing eyes of a pack of hungry coyotes watching her intently. The scent of her blood had brought them straight to her location. The _edain_ tried to back further under her log, maybe even into the water, but her back protested. The hit by the log the night before still pained her, making movement, especially fast and scared movement, hard

The bravest of the coyotes had now left his hiding place in the brush. His pack mates howled behind him, yelling out the success of a hunt. Ser trembled a bit from fear, withdrawing as far as she could. By now, the coyote had reached the edge of the log and was pawing at the soft earth in front of her. The young _edain_ whimpered as one paw brushed against her in the animal's attempt to reach her. She gathered up as much courage as she could and punched the coyote in the snout with as much force as she could manage with her left hand. The coyote howled, more from shock than from pain, and stretched out, scouring the side of Serethiel's face. The tiny girl yelled in pain, as three scratches open on her face and began to bleed immediately.

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Elladan was riding back downstream when he heard an animal yelp in shock. However, it was the higher pitch yell that followed that made him urge his horse go as fast as he dared on the treacherous terrain. Rounding a bend in the river, the young peredhel saw a downed tree that he had ridden past already, but this time, there was a coyote digging furiously at the soft mud in front of it. A glint of red from under the log caught Elladan's eye briefly, causing his insides to quiver slightly. He had found his sister, and hopefully, it wasn't too late. With a war cry, the elf loosed his sword and vaulted of the horse. The coyote turned toward this new opponent, its eyes glittering fiercely. At the new challenge, several other members of the pack came out of hiding, some to join their comrade in facing down the angry elf, others to resume the digging for their prey.

Elladan watched the large coyote in front of him carefully. It had obviously seen many battles, and the elf didn't want to walk away with too many injuries. The coyote lunged, keeping low, Elladan swung his sword down while sidestepping. The coyote whirled past him landing to spin and continue facing his foe. Elladan now had to stand with his back to part of the pack, a perfect chance for some of them to attack. A smaller dog leapt for the elf's unprotected back, only to fall unexpectedly to the ground, an arrow through one eye. Elrohir and Glorfindel emerged from the woods. The same sounds that Elladan had heard had drawn them as they joined 'Dan to sweep the far bank one last time.

"'Ro! Ser is under that log; try to draw the coyotes from it!" 'Dan didn't glance up from the fight he was in, but he needed to ensure his sister's safety. Elrohir turned around to where several coyotes were digging, nearly having dislodged the log. Underneath, Ser' had grabbed unto part of it again, feeling it start to move in the current. Elrohir began picking of coyotes with his bow, before he shot the last one however; the log was overbalanced and fell back into the current. As it rolled, a small reddish haired figure covered in blood appeared, scrambling to find a perch.

"'Dan, please!" The small cry pulled Elladan away from his battle. Looking first to his twin, he just saw two grey anguished eyes staring at the river. Following his brother's gaze, Elladan saw the source of the cry. Without a thought to his safety, the elder twin ran through the remaining coyotes, threw his sword, and dove into the water.

Lashing with powerful strokes, Elladan reached the log quickly. On top of it, a battered and bloody Serethiel sat clinging powerfully to the log. Reaching up for her, Elladan got a grip around her waist pulling her off and into his arms.

"It's ok, tithen pen, I have you." Elladan tried to sound calm, but he was worried. Her right arm was a bruised bloody pulp, she whimpered slightly if he tightened her arms too much, and he could see three fresh scratches, one quite deep near her hair, on her face. Ser's only reply was to snuggle into Elladan's now wet tunic and sniffle.

Elladan rolled onto his back pulling his sister to his chest as he kicked his way back toward the shallows. He could feel the little edain shivering against him, whether from cold or fear, he did not know. Either way, his only thought was to get her back into the protection of the Last Homely House.

Wading on shore with his precious bundle, Glorfindel stood with a blanket and Elrohir with his arms out. "Quickly, we need to get those wet clothes off, and then we can wrap her in the blanket before we ride for Rivendell."

As Elladan held her, Elrohir put his words to work, trying to hide his reaction to the bruises on her chest, back, and legs. Glorfindel was silent as he took her clothes and stored them in his saddle bags. The tiny edain just cried slightly, happy to be in peoples' care, but too tired to be able to react other than to whimper in intense pain whenever one of the elves brushed a hand across a wound.

When the change was complete, Elladan snuggled her close and mounted his horse, his companions following quickly. "We ride quickly; she needs Ada's care, badly."

The others nodded and nudged their horses quickly after Elladan.

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Elrond was standing on the steps as the three elves rode up. He had been alerted by others who had seen his sons that Serethiel was found, although injured. His face drew tight as he watched Elladan jump down from his horse, a small bundle held in his arms.

Elrond went to reach for the bundle, to see his little adopted daughter, but Elladan pulled back. "No Ada, we can't move her much, please, let us just get to a healing room."

Elrond's face went taunt at the words, but he spun on a heel and led the way inside, Elrohir and Glorfindel trailing behind the other two elves. In Elladan's arms, Ser stirred and quietly started mumbling.

"I sowy, I so sowy 'Dan. Didn't mean to." In her tired state, Serethiel slipped back into talking like a baby.

Elladan smoothed her wet hair away from her forehead with a slightly trembling hand, his eyes bright with unshed tears. "I know sweetly. I know _tithen pen_. It's ok, you're safe, I have you."

Behind the elves, the sun rose above the mountains dawning a new day. However, it brought no happiness to the Last Homely House.

Translations:

_Tithen pen: _little one

_Ada:_ Daddy

_Serethiel: _peace

_Estel:_ hope

_Peredhel:_ half-elven

_Edain:_ human/mortal

_Mellon nin:_ friend

Thank you to all who reviewed, it really does mean a lot to me to know that people read my stories and want me to continue. I'm sorry about the long delay, I got married and moved to New Jersey, and I've been trying to get settled in. Hopefully the chapters will start coming faster now that I'm here and settled. Cheers!


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